Israeli Corona Chief in Troubled Waters

Barely a month after his appointment, Israel’s coronavirus czar Prof. Ronni Gamzu appears to be headed out the door, in a move forecasted by many political analysts. On Tuesday, Gamzu threatened to quit if he would not receive sufficient backing from the government. Wednesday morning, Israel’s coalition chairman and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s right-hand man Miki Zohar erupted during a radio interview when asked about Gamzu’s latest actions. “He didn’t stop the protests in front of the prime minister’s residence from happening because he was scared of the media,” accused Zohar. The recent controversy revolves around Gamzu’s determined objection to the mass annual visits to Ukraine, where tens of thousands of religious Israelis converge at the site of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov. Gamzu declared he would not allow the pilgrimage to take place this year and even sent a letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy requesting he close his borders to Israelis, a move that drew the ire of Netanyahu’s religious coalition partners. “Gamzu needs to understand these flights will happen, whether he likes it or not,” Zohar continued. “He better start preparing for that, instead of sending letters contrary to the prime minister’s position.” On Tuesday, Netanyahu denied he had authorized Gamzu’s letter or that he personally asked Zelenskyy to assist in denying Israelis entrance to his country, a denial rebutted by Zelenskyy’s office.